Seeing, feeling and exploring places and cultures of the world

Pura Tanah Lot: A Temple at The Sea

On my recent second trip to the island of Bali I have watched the intense Kecak dance at Uluwatu, met naughty yet funny monkeys at Ubud’s monkey forest, hit some beautiful and tranquil beaches, got wet at Tampaksiring, witnessed the beauty of Lake Batur and Bratan, visited colorful Ubud market and learned a little history of Bali from the Elephant Cave and Pura Taman Ayun. But none of those experiences prepared me from a breathtaking sight, laid before my eyes at Tanah Lot. A pura (Balinese Hindu temple) stands strong at the sea, surrounded by water and constantly hit by relentless towering waves from the Indian Ocean.

Other View of Pura Tanah Lot

Waves Coming Through The Rock Formation

Pura Tanah Lot was built in the 15th century and actually have some parts of it crumbled down and rebuilt according to its original form and stature. During high tide, the entire temple is surrounded by seawater. But during low tide it is easily reached on foot from the seaside. It is said that on certain times every year, snakes come out from their lair deep inside the rock. Legend has it that the snakes protect the temple from evil. Therefore local people pay a great respect to the snakes. Even though this place has already been heavily flocked with tourists and shops, but its true beauty never ceases to amaze people from those who merely seek for pleasure to the ones who are searching for profound meaning of this very place. One of the best moments to go to Tanah Lot is during sunset. However since later that day I had to catch a flight home, I could not stay longer until the sun sets.

Beach at Tanah Lot

Rock Formations around Tanah Lot

Visible Wavy Seabed during Low Tide

A Statue with Three Freshwater Spouts at The Bottom of The Rock

This is the last post of my second post series on Bali. In the meantime, within a few days I will be embarking for more interesting places in Asia. Stay tuned and keep the wanderlust up!